Freeman signing further muddles Minnesota QB group

EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. (AP) - Josh Freeman is out of the messy situation in Tampa Bay and happy to land in Minnesota, where Adrian Peterson and the Vikings offense eagerly await.

“I don’t think there’s a quarterback in the game of football that doesn’t think they’d be a good fit for this offense,” Freeman said on Monday night after passing a physical and signing his one-year deal.

Just when he will take over as the starting quarterback is still unclear.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said that struggling third-year quarterback Christian Ponder will start on Sunday against Carolina if his injured ribs will allow it. If he is still too sore coming off two weeks of rest, backup Matt Cassel will get the nod.

Beyond Sunday’s game against Carolina, well, there’s no guarantee for anyone.

The Vikings (1-3) signed the 25-year-old Freeman four days after he was cut by Tampa Bay in a long, drawn-out split between a franchise and a player that was once viewed as a cornerstone.

“Right when I heard I got cut, it was kind of, `I want to get back in there right away,’” Freeman said. “In all honesty, from the standpoint of a career move, something that I really liked about the Vikings is they’ve got a guy. They’ve got a situation where I can come in and learn the system.

“If they call for me and need me to play, that’s one thing. But it’s an opportunity to kind of pump the brakes. It’s been pretty crazy the past few weeks and just really get back to the reason we’re all here and that’s playing football.”

Bucs coach Greg Schiano benched Freeman after he struggled in the first three games and a back-and-forth followed that included the NFLPA looking into whether the Bucs leaked information about Freeman being in the league’s substance abuse program.

“What happened down in Tampa is none of my business at all,” Vikings GM Rick Spielman said.

Freeman wasn’t interested in revisiting any of that on Monday night, preferring to look forward to his new team.

“My main focus was where can I go to really better myself,” he said. “I wanted a good environment and I got that in Minnesota.”

Frazier and Spielman were vague when talking about Freeman’s immediate future and Ponder’s status. Both said Ponder has “a bright future” with the team, but it’s hard to see how that is possible now.

Keeping Cassel in the lineup on Sunday would hardly be a controversial or deceptive decision. The 31-year-old gave a sputtering offense a spark with two touchdowns and 248 yards passing without a turnover in the win in London over Pittsburgh on Sept. 29 and there will be little patience from the home crowd for Ponder.

Ponder, whose record as a starter is 12-17, expressed defiance toward the doubt about his status.